Art of the Matter

Greg Jacobs is a reluctant photographer.
While the California Heights resident’s been shooting photos since high school– a hobby he picked up from his camera-bug grandfather–he put down his lens sometime around college and left it there for a good long while. It was only after touring and working with a couple of rock bands back around 2008 that Jacobs jumped back into photography with a passion. He picked up a digital SLR and was hooked– again.
After a learning curve that mostly involved ignoring the camera’s owner’s manual– and taking a “getting to know your camera” class at Tuttle Cameras in Bixby Knolls– Jacobs now considers himself an observational street photographer who prefers to document in pixels the characters who inhabit everyday life. Sure, he likes to shoot palm trees, power lines and rock shows, but the street is where his viewfinder is drawn.
“One of the things I love about street photography is that it makes me uncomfortable. It takes me out of my element,” Jacobs says. “When an image comes out, it’s very rewarding. There’s something awesome about being nervous and awkward while still being able to press the shutter button and frame an interesting shot of a fascinating character. I hear a lot of people say, when discussing street photography, they see beauty in everyday life and want to document it. This sounds kind of cliché, but it’s true. Let’s face it, some people are awesome-looking. Their faces are so descriptive, and to capture them in a natural and non-posed setting is just amazing.”
Since returning to the lens, Jacobs has launched a photo blog, ribshots.wordpress.com, where people can view his images and follow his updates. Not content with his current skills, Jacobs regularly attends photo classes and workshops in Long Beach and Los Angeles where he can hone his technical abilities and techniques. “I have a long way to go with street photography, but I really love it,” he says. “There’s a great community of local street photographers out there that I’m honored to call myself part of– or at least hang around with on the periphery.”